The Long, Long Road
by NybCR
Summary: Aang, Sokka, and Katara are caught in a furious storm, and Katara is thrown into the ocean by a gust of wind. She may have found refuge on a nearby island, but it has a Fire Nation Ship and a well-kept secret... Z&K later on, rating may change.
1. The Thunder Rolls

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender, its plot, or its characters in any way, shape, or form. These things belong to Nickelodeon. What, did you really think I owned them? Pah! As if! Also, I do not own the song lyrics at the beginning of the chapter. Those lyrics are from the song "The Thunder Rolls" by Garth Brooks.

**Author's Notes:** Not my first fanfiction, but it IS my first Avatar fanfiction. Please have mercy on my soul if I botched the characters.

**Summary:** Aang, Sokka, and Katara are caught in a furious storm, and after a particularly strong gust of wind, Katara is thrown off of Appa into the ocean. Aang and Sokka land on a nearby island in hopes of finding her there, but they never could have predicted what they did find...

**Contents:** Likely Zuko&Katara romance later on, but don't expect a lemon. Story begins shortly after the thirteenth episode, "The Blue Spirit".

* * *

**Chapter One**  
_The Thunder Rolls_

_"The thunder rolls,_  
_ And the lightning strikes..._  
_ The storm blows on,_  
_ Out of control..."_

"Why are there so many storms all of a sudden?" Aang shouted above the screaming wind.

"It's winter," Katara shouted back, holding onto the edge of Appa's saddle. "This weather is probably normal here for this time of year."

"I wish it would stop!" Sokka yelled as he tried to maintain his grip on their supplies. When they saw the storm clouds, they had used a line of rope the old fisherman had given them to tie their bags together. The old woman said they would need it. It seemed she was right.

Katara glanced at the ocean below them. She wished it would stop, too, but there wasn't an awful lot they could do to make their wishes come true. The most they could do was find land and wait out the storm--

"Guys, look!" Katara cried. "Land!" They had been so busy simply trying to not get swept away in the storm that they didn't notice the mass of land not a mile away.

"Land? That's perfect!" Sokka shouted back. "We'll just land there and we'll be safe!"

"Easier said than done!" Aang said, pointing to the island that was a short distance away from the land mass. Katara and Sokka looked closer at that island and soon found what Aang was talking about: a Fire Nation Ship.

A bright flash of light quickly followed by a low rumble of thunder resounded from their left. "We have to risk it, Aang!" Katara shouted once the thunder had died away. "We need to land before we're struck by lightning--or worse!"

Aang nodded and began steering Appa towards the larger mass of land rather than the island. After all, the Fire Nation was probably trying to wait out the storm, same as them; they could leave as soon as the storm ended, and they were less likely to be found on the shore of the mainland rather than the island.

Just as their course changed, the wind suddenly died down to a mere whisper. Aang sat up, stiff and erect, at the change. As an air bender, he knew something was wrong. Momo seemed to agree with him, clinging hard to his arm.

Katara and Sokka, on the other hand, thought this was a sign that the storm was ending. Sokka set about tightening the rope around their supplies, checking things to make sure everything was still in order. Katara, on the other hand, let go of the saddle and looked around, relief in her eyes.

"Well, it looks like the worst is over," she said, steadily rising to her feet.

But Aang remained tensed. He felt something coming. His grip tightened on Appa's reins, and he shouted, "I don't think so. Hold on!"

Just as the words left his mouth, a gust of wind blasted into Appa, causing the giant beast to jerk violently. Aang shut his eyes against the rain that flew like darts into his face, his hands gripping the reins with a desperation brinking on panic. The wind raced passed his ears, drowning out all sound except the whistle of wind and rain.

Once Appa was under control again, he opened his eyes and half-turned his head. "Is everyone all right?"

"I'm okay," came Sokka's shaken voice. "Man, this is some _good_ rope."

"How about you, Katara?" he asked.

No answer.

He turned around so violently that he jerked the reins, making Appa turn sharply to the right. He ignored Sokka's complaints, though, when his eyes didn't find Katara.

"Sokka! Katara's gone!"

Sokka's head jerked up. "What?" he exclaimed, panic in his voice and his face. He looked around, and then, with stiff movements, looked over Appa's saddle, into the dark blue expanse beneath them. His eyes turned to Aang, horror and fear stamped into his countenance. "She must have fallen into the water!" he shouted.

He didn't answer. He simply yanked on Appa's reins, directing him downwards. They plunged through the rain-crowded air towards the ocean, the violent wind pushing the waves out of control. Appa paused above the water, and after only a moment's hesitation, dove into the ocean. Aang and Sokka held their breath. Sokka had his eyes closed tightly, unable to keep them open with the pressure of the stormy water pressing against him. Aang, on the other hand, looked about him frantically, hoping against hope that he would be able to spot Katara.

Once his lungs reached its limit, however, he knew he had to return to the surface. He clapped his fists together and summoned a sphere of air around Appa, and they flew out of the ocean and back into the raging storm.

"What are we going to do, Aang?" Sokka asked once he regained his breath. "How will we find Katara?"

"I don't know," Aang shouted back. "But we have to land. We... we have to find shelter. Katara's a water bender. She's probably swimming to the island as we speak. We're not that far away from it."

"But--"

"What else can we do?" Aang asked desperately. "What?"

Sokka was silent for several seconds, and then he nodded. "All right, Aang. You're right, we don't have much choice. Besides... you're probably right. Me and Katara are used to harsh conditions... we grew up in the South Pole, didn't we?" He didn't sound convinced, but they both knew it was the only way.

"As soon as we land, we'll start searching for her," Aang assured him. "It just isn't safe out here on the ocean."

And that's exactly why he couldn't ease the fear in his heart.

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**Author's Notes:** Well, that's all for now. Comments, questions, flames, criticism--you know where the review button is, so please leave one! 


	2. Slight Hope

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Avatar. If I did, I would not be writing fanfictions. I also do not own the lyrics at the beginning of this chapter; they belong to a song called "Vindicated" by Dashboard Confessional. I would also like to note that I put up those song lyrics at the beginning of each chapter for a reason. It's an introduction/foreshadowing to the chapter, so pay attention. : )

**Author's Notes: **Hey, thanks to everyone who reviewed! It's nice to know that it doesn't completely suck. As for all those expecting a ton of Zuko/Katara action, I'm sorry to say that, while there WILL be some, it won't come until later, later, WAY later in the story. Not sure exactly when, though. Not that I want to lose any readers (I don't), but I thought everyone should know that this IS an action/adventure/drama, not a fluff or a Harlequin Romance. BUT...

**Chapter's Content:** ...Zuko and Katara are in the same chapter together. (GASP!)

* * *

**Chapter Two**  
_Slight Hope_

_"Slight hope: it dangles on a string,  
Like slow, spinning redemption..."_

Prince Zuko gazed at the forest before him with grim determination. He and his crew had been camping out on this island because of the furious storm that had hit the day before. When they were initially forced to stop and wait out the storm, he had been frustrated to the point of wanting to destroy something, but things had looked slightly brighter when one of the scouts spied the giant furrball identified as the Avatar's transportation flying through the storm, headed straight for the very island Zuko and his men were camping on. The only down side was that this was a large island, and it would take a long time for them to find the Avatar. Still, that also meant that there was a chance the Avatar had not seen Zuko's ship or his camp, which meant that if the Avatar needed to get new supplies from the mainland, it would be a while before they left.

Now that the storm was over and the sun had risen, Prince Zuko turned to his men.

"The Avatar landed on this island last night during the storm. No one has seen him leave, which means he is still here. I want every man searching the forest until sunset. If the Avatar is not found by then, you are to return to camp quickly. We will split up into groups of six. Is that clear?"

The firebenders saluted him by way of answering.

"Good. We have a big island to search, so let's get moving."

While the crew dispersed into groups, former general Iroh moved to Zuko's side. "How long do you think it will take to search the entire island, nephew?"

"I'm not sure. From the size of this place, I'd say two, maybe three days if we search from dawn till dusk, only pausing for a short meal at noon."

"Three days is an awful long time, nephew. Do you think you have the patience for it?"

Zuko shot his uncle an irritated glance. "It is not a matter of patience. It is a matter of how long the Avatar stays on this island."

"So how long do you intend to continue these searches?"

"I intend to search only today, but I have a feeling we won't find him. So, once the groups return at sunset, we'll draw a rough map of the island and mark where we have already searched. Some of the men will return to the ship and get it ready to set a short ways off the shore and prepare the catapult. When dawn comes, we'll set up a perimeter for the unknown area. Once everyone is in position, we will set fire to the unknown part of the forest and smoke out the Avatar. When he flies out of the forest, the catapult will be ready for him."

Iroh looked slightly concerned. "And just what do you intend to do about the forest once it is burned down?"

"Does it matter? There are no settlements on this island, so no one will be harmed."

"What about the settlement on shore? It is only a short boat ride away from this island, so it is very possible that someone from that island may visit here when you plan to burn it down."

Zuko scowled, irritated. "Fine. I'll send a messenger this evening to the shore and he'll give out an order that no one is to go to the island, by order of the Fire Nation."

Iroh smiled good-naturedly, patting Zuko on the shoulder. "I am so fortunate to have such an understanding nephew." The older man slowly walked back to camp. The retired general, of course, would not be joining them in their search.

Zuko nodded curtly at his uncle's back and joined the only group of five among the men. He then gestured to his crew, and they walked off the beach and into the green forest, their red-and-black armor shuffling quietly as they passed through the foliage--but not as quietly as the little person sitting in the bush, listening to every word spoken.

---

Katara opened her eyes slowly, grabbing onto consciousness before it slipped away from her. She was so tired, but she felt an urgent need to wake up. She could make out a blurred shape before her--a face. Was it Sokka? Was it Aang?

She could feel the blood pumping in her ears like a tribal drum, drowning out all other sound. Was there a voice? She couldn't tell.

Her eyes closed.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Hey, I told you they were in the same chapter together, didn't I? (I'm so evil...) 

Anyway, sorry for the cliff hanger, but I've already got chapter three half way done. I just need to finish it, edit, and post it. In the mean time, please leave a review! Reviews make me happy.


	3. Take What You Get

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Avatar. Please do not sue me. I don't own the lyrics at the beginning of this chapter. They belong to the song "Complicated" by Avril Lavigne. Please don't hurt me!

**Author's Notes:** Okay, it took me a while to get it up, but it IS a lot longer than the other to. So, happy, happy! Chapter three is up!

Now, responses to people...

**Zukos Girl: **Don't expect a lemon. I dislike lemons. They make my face scrunch up all funny-like. Now, FLUFF, on the other hand... but be patient. I'm not going to slam those two together for quite a while...

**Arwey:** Indeed. I am the evillest person I know. Which is why you'll find that (GASP) there is no Zuko in this chapter. (Grievances, I really am evil...) On the bright side, Chapter Four is going to be mostly Zuko. So, yeah.

* * *

**Chapter Three**  
_Take What You Get_

_"Life's like this:  
You fall, and you crawl,  
And you break, and you take  
What you get..."_

Aang and Sokka spent all night, all morning, and most of the afternoon combing the forest and the beach with only one thought in their mind.

"Katara!" Aang whisper-shouted. "Where are you, Katara?"

He would have been yelling at the top of his lungs if it hadn't been for the fact that Sokka had reminded him of the Fire Nation ship on the other end of the island. Sokka warned him that they may have spotted Appa--he was, after all, a giant, flying furrball.

"Don't worry, Aang," Sokka said, laying a reassuring hand on Aang's shoulder. "She probably just waited out the storm and fell asleep or something." Despite his words, he could not hide the worry in his eyes.

Aang relaxed, thinking that Sokka must be even more stressed than he was, seeing as how Katara was his sister. "You're right. And we're not even shouting, so of course she hasn't woken up yet. She probably found a really good hiding place--" he forced a small laugh. "Really, it's only a matter of time before we run into each other."

"Hey! You two!" a voice shouted from behind them. They both spun around, surprised.

The voice belonged to a boy a year or so older than Aang. He wore a shirt identical to the color of the forest leaves and breeches that matched the bark of the tree he stood next to. His expression was one of friendly curiosity.

"You're the two Nutjobs looking for some girl named 'Katara', right?" he said.

Aang nodded eagerly. "That's us! We're those nutjobs! Do you know where she is?"

"Yeah. Follow me, I'll show you to her." He spun on his heel and began walking briskly into the forest. Aang and Sokka hurried after him, making certain they didn't lose his camoflauged figure in the green setting. Despite of their carefulness, they almost lost him several times, but he periodically stopped and called to them to make sure they still followed him.

Finally, he stopped and turned around, a mischievous smirk on his face. "All right, now just stand right there while I pull the rope."

"Wait, rope?" Sokka said as he hurried off. "What do you mean, 'rope'?"

"I don't think he heard you," Aang said.

"Yeah, well, he's going to listen when--"

Sokka's reply was cut off abruptly as a trapdoor dropped open beneath them and they soon found themselves half-falling down a very steep slide. Their ride did not last long, however, and they soon found themselves in a heap on a pile of hay.

Before they had time to collect their bearings, a female voice spoke to them. "You're the Nutjobs, right? The ones Hagan sent down."

"Well, we don't know if they guy who led us here was Hagan," Aang said as he sat up, brushing a few straws of hay off his shoulder, "but we _are_ the Nutjobs."

Sokka tumbled out of the hay unceremoniously, landing on his rump. He rubbed the back of his head as he looked up at the girl standing over him. "Why does everyone keep calling us nutjobs? And who're you?"

The girl--she was about Katara's age--laughed. "Well, we're calling you that because only crazy people would run around on the beach, practically begging to be attacked by the Fire Nation Raiding Party in the forest next to them. As for me, my name is Tenerli. Come on, I'll show you where Katara is, and I promise it won't involve any trapdoors."

Without another word, she turned around and began walking down a corridoor. Sokka glanced at Aang, who shrugged, and they hurried to follow her through the illogically twisting corridoors.

It seemed hours before they stopped, though in reality it couldn't have been over a minute.

Tenerli opened a door and gestured to Aang and Sokka to step through. Inside they found a yellow-walled room occupied by two cots and a colorful array of wall decor, ranging from finger paintings to pressed wild flowers to solemn poetry in flowery, pink letters. One of the cots was occupied by a girl in a blue robe, sitting up and looking at them with a bright smile on her face.

"Aang! Sokka!" Katara cried, swinging her legs off the cot.

Aang and Sokka hurried over to her, smothering her in a hug before she even had a chance to stand up.

"Katara! I'm so glad you're okay," Aang said, burying his face in her shoulder.

Katara patted him on the back. "I know, Aang. I'm just lucky that these people found me."

"What happened, Katara?" Sokka asked. "Why couldn't you just waterbend out of there? Did you get knocked out or something?"

"No... I don't really remember what happened. I knew I was trying to waterbend, but the storm waves were too strong for me to control... I was trying to call out to you guys, and I must have swallowed some water... I got so dizzy, and then I just... blacked out."

"Murchadh saw her in the ocean," Tenerli stated from the door, "and he swam out to get her. I'd say it's lucky he survived, and with a passenger to boot, but Murchadh's honed his water bending to accomodate chaotic conditions."

"What?" Sokka said.

Tenerli smiled. "He's good in storms. Specially trained for it, in fact."

"Oh. Ah... I knew that," Sokka replied.

Katara pushed her brother's shoulder. "Sure you did," she teased.

"She awake?" someone said from the doorway. Aang, Sokka, and Katara looked to find a scrawny, dark-faced boy of fifteen standing at the door, a curious expression on his face.

Tenerli placed a hand on his shoulder. "This is Murchadh. Murchadh, you know Katara--the other two are the Nutjobs."

"Nifty," Murchadh said, a crooked grin spreading over his face. He looked at Tenerli. "We should show them around. Where's Carlaoh? She usually handles stuff like this."

"Negotiating," Tenerli answered promptly.

"With Fireface?" he asked, surprised.

"The same."

"I thought Carlaoh wanted to avoid conflict with him."

"That was before Geryl overheard Fireface's plans."

"Care to enlighten me, O Wise One?"

"Burn the forest at dawn."

"Ouch."

"No kidding. As soon as Carlaoh got wind, she and Synhard got together and started talking about what they should do about Fireface and his orders."

"I'll bet they finally found something they could agree on."

"No kidding, though they did have a bit of an arguement as to how they'd treat Fireface once they took him prisoner."

"Hold on!" Aang interrupted, stepping away from Katara. "What's going on? Who's Fireface? And those other people you're talking about? What's this about prisoners?"

At first, Murchadh looked surprised to see Aang there, and then his expression turned sheepish. "Oh, sorry. I forgot you guys were there. What's your name, anyway? I can't just keep calling you and your friend over there the Nutjobs forever!"

"My name's Aang, and that's Sokka."

"Which reminds me," Sokka said suspiciously, "just how did you know Katara's name?"

Tenerli giggled. Crooked grin still plastered on his face, Murchadh answered, "Well, you two WERE shouting it at the top of your lungs, right? Anyway, we thought--they're looking for someone, we've got someone. Two and two, right?"

"Anyway," Tenerli interrupted, "we've kept you three standing here long enough. Hey, Anthrype!" she said, suddenly turning away from the door. "You're a junior negotiator. Why don't you fill the Waterkid and the Nutjobs in?"

A blonde head popped up from behind Tenerli, blinking at Aang. She turned back to Tenerli. "Can do, Tenni. Names?"

"Waterkid's Katara, Nutjob B is Sokka, and Nutjob A is Aang."

"Got it." The blonde head disappeared again, and soon a small girl (couldn't be a day over twelve) stepped in front of the door, shoving Murchadh and Tenerli aside. "Okay, give 'em room! They're guests, don't crowd 'em!" The other two left without a word, waving silent goodbyes to them. The girl turned back to them and gave them an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that. Those older kids have absolutely no manners. Follow me! I'll show you around. Don't worry, I'll answer any questions you've got." She turned and began slowly walking down the corridoor; Aang, Sokka, and Katara soon followed. She spoke as they walked. "My name is Anthrype. I'm a junior negotiator--one of the people around here who deal with outsiders."

"All right, just pause a minute," Katara said. "The other two were talking about someone named Fireface and prisoners. What's that all about?"

Anthrype hesitated. "Well, Carlaoh should really be the ones to tell you about that, since she _is_ the one who knows the most about it." She shrugged. "But I suppose I could tell you what I do know." She began walking again. "As you've probably noticed, we have nicknames for any outsiders we talk about..."

"Yeah, about that," Sokka began, "what was with that 'Nutjob A' and 'Nutjob B' business?"

"Oh, that's easy. You see, 'A' stands for Arrow, as in Aang's arrow tattoo, and 'B' stands for Blue, which is the color of your coat."

"Oh. That makes sense, I guess," Sokka said.

"But what about Fireface and that prisoner stuff?" Katara pressed.

"I'm getting there. Anyway, we also have nicknames for important Fire Nation figures. You probably noticed a Fire Nation Ship when you landed on this island, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, that ship belongs to none other than Prince Zuko. He's Fireface."

"But that still doesn't explain what all this prisoner stuff is about."

"Well--"

"Anthrype!"

They turned around to find a dark-eyed teenager gazing at them with a friendly expression. She smiled at them. "Hello, there. My name is Carlaoh, and I am the Leader of Negotiations." She looked at Anthrype. "It's okay, cadet. I'll take it from here."

Anthrype nodded to Carlaoh and took off. They dark-eyed girl turned to them. "Come on. I'll answer all of your questions over a cup of tea." With that, she turned about and began leading them down the corridoor.

"Should we follow her?" Katara asked Aang, uncertain.

"Well, you take what you get, right?" he responded. After taking a deep breath, he followed Carlaoh. Sokka shrugged and followed as well.

After a moment's hesitation, Katara did the same, but she felt a growing uneasiness in the pit of her stomach. All of this strongly reminded her of one thing, and one thing only...

Jet.

* * *

Man, I'm addicted to cliff hangers. I'm so evil. Mua-a-a-a-a... 

Anyway, please feed my ego (or punish it, whichever suits) and leave a review!


	4. You Don't Know Me

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Avatar. Don't own the lyrics, which belong to John Rzenznik from his song, "I'm Still Here."

**Author's Notes:** Sorry for the long wait. I was having some trouble with the end of this chapter. And the beginning, come to think of it. But, if it's any consolation, it's all about Zuko.

**Content:** Zuko. Lots of it.

* * *

**Chapter Four**  
_You Don't Know Me_

_"What do you think you'd ever say?  
I won't listen, anyway--  
You don't know me,  
And I'll never be what you want me to be."_

Zuko awoke with a pounding headache, and the damp climate he was in wasn't really helping to make him feel any better. "What happened?" he wondered aloud. His voice sounded hoarse, even to him.

"You've been taken prisoner," a bored voice answered. "Sorry that waking up in a dank, flooded dungeon isn't exactly the most welcoming scenery, but Synhard didn't want to take any chances."

Zuko groaned as his memory kicked in. Of course, while he was scouting in the forest, he had been attacked by a small group of teenagers, and they had knocked him out. Really, it was his own fault for wandering away from his group, but he couldn't help it: after all, he could have sworn that he heard voices in the distance, and he knew his group would only slow him down. In all honesty, he was hoping he could find the Avatar during the scouting mission: that way, he wouldn't be forced to burn down the forest. Burning forests, after all, was not at the top of his priorities.

Even so, none of that mattered now. After he was knocked out, he was obviously dragged to some kind of prison. Opening his eyes confirmed this: he was on a cot located in, as the voice said, a "dank, flooded dungeon". He sat up to take a better look at his surroundings.

The dungeon room was relatively large and smoothed in a way that told him it was man-made. The stone that served as floor, ceiling, and four walls was smooth and gray-blue. The cot he sat on was on a long, narrow stone elevated from the floor; there were several other similar formations in the room. Peering over the edge, he estimated that the water flooding the room was roughly two feet deep; it would reach about his mid-thigh. On the other end of the room, the stone floor formed a steep slope to what appeared to be a hallway. Sandwiched between the slope and the east wall was a stone staircase leading to the hallway. Zuko would have thought it a fitting prison for a Fire bender like himself, only there weren't any bars to stop him from going up the staircase.

"You've probably noticed that there are no iron bars to keep you here," continued the voice from before. Zuko turned towards it and found a boy his age sitting on one of the boulders jutting out from the surface of the water. The boy continued, "That's because we don't need iron bars to keep you here. You've obviously noticed all the water... and I'm a waterbender. Carlaoh and Synhard figured that would be enough to keep you here." The boy grinned, a hint of malice--and mischief--in the expression. "By the way, my name's Kaiphelan. You gonna tell me yours, or should I just call you Fireface?"

Zuko narrowed his eyes at the impudent waterbender. Who did he think he was? Besides his jailer, of course. "I am Prince Zuko, and I demand to be set free!"

But the boy just laughed. "Set free? You're kidding, right? You think that being the prince of our enemy is going to get you out? Fat chance, Princey. But don't worry, you'll be treated well enough, even if it's only because of Carlaoh's orders."

Zuko sneered. "Who's Carlaoh? Your leader? Tell me, is he as pathetic as you?"

Kaiphelan stood angrily, his fists clenched. "_She_ is the leader of negotiations. In fact, she's out there right now, negotiating your release with your leutenant." He took a deep breath and straightened his back. "But hey, why am I telling you this? She'll talk to you herself once she gets back."

"Oh, will she?" Zuko said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yes, yes, she will," said a new voice from the hallway. Zuko turned to see the speaker and saw a girl probably only a year older than him. She was crouched at the very edge of the slope, looking down at them with a grin on her face. Besides the grin on her face, she also wore a pair of brown breeches and a green shirt with long sleeves and flare cuffs. She looked down at them with her chin resting on her palm, and her elbow on her knee. Her position caused the flared sleeve to fall lower on her forearm, but apparently, she wore another, tighter-sleeved white shirt beneath it. On her hands were a pair of black leather gloves, reflecting the color of her eyes in her light brown face.

She stood suddenly, striding towards the staircase and hurrying to the dry stone face at the bottom. Once she got there, she looked at Zuko, her expression one of curiosity. She was silent for so long that Zuko almost jumped up and demand to know the reasoning behind his capture--but then she spoke.

"You're likely wondering why you're here," she began. "The answer isn't exactly a simple one, although I'm willing to explain it until you fully understand. For starters, I did not originally desire your capture. Frankly, I still do not, but we do what we have to in order to keep our forest safe."

"Your forest?" Zuko repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. We are its caretakers. We make sure that nothing more is taken from this forest than what is needed to survive, and part of that is to send scouts out to spy on any newcomers. If they prove harmless, we leave them alone. If not, then we do everything within our power to make them leave. You, Prince Zuko, were planning to burn down over half this forest; Scout Geryl overheard your plans. That is why we captured you."

"Then you went through all that trouble for nothing. I already gave my orders to my uncle, and he will make sure they're carried out whether I am there or not!"

"Ah, but that is where you are wrong. You see, I recently returned from your camp, where I was negotiating with the short, gray haired man. That is your uncle, correct?"

"That depends. Did he say anything about tea?"

"Yes, actually."

"Then he's my uncle."

"Good, then. Well, I told him that we had you and that you were safe, but we would not release you until your crew met with certain conditions. They must pack up all their things and ready their boat to sail off; each and every crew member must be on the boat, the only exception being your uncle, who may stay on the shore to make certain that I go through with my part of the deal. If all the conditions are met, you will be returned to your uncle, and once the both of you are on your ship, you must leave. If you return, you will be attacked on sight."

"And my uncle agreed to all this?"

"I told him that if he did not cooperate, you would be harmed." She glanced away, her expression thoughtful. "He's a nice man, your uncle. I hope you appreciate him as much as he deserves."

"I demand you release me at once!" Zuko snarled.

She turned back to him, a cocky grin on her face. "Honey, you're not _my _prince. Why should I follow _your _orders?" She chuckled quietly, ignoring Zuko's angry glare. "Oh, don't worry. We aren't going to harm you, not if we can help it, and I promise that we _will _return you to your ship at dawn. In the mean time, how about I give you a tour of this place?"

Zuko narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Why?"

"Why not? As you can see, this place can only hold you with a waterbender, and there's no way I'm keeping Kaiphelan down here. We don't keep prison cells, we don't keep prisoners; we only keep guests. The decision, however, is yours--are you willing to cooperate and refrain from harming anyone or trying to escape, or would you rather stay down here and grow mold?"

Zuko considered this for a short while before nodding. "Very well. I agree with your terms."

Carlaoh smiled. "Excellent. Kaiphelan, you're off the hook. Prince, follow me."

Zuko stood and walked carefully on the slippery stones and up the steps, following Carlaoh close behind. He gazed down the hallway, then turned as the girl continued down the corridor, talking incessantly. He followed her, apparently obediant, but inside he began wondering if he could work this change of atmosphere to his advantage. It's not like there was anything this glove-wearing teenager could say to make him change his mind.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Semi-cliff-hanger. Just because I'm evil. Please flame me.  



	5. Obvious

**Disclaimer:** Guess what? I own Avatar! Guess what else? I LIED! I also do not own the lyrics at the beginning of the chapter--those belong to Avril Lavigne, from her song "Sk8er Boi". I also do not own the tea called "Darjeeling". That's a tea from Northern India. Yup, yup.

**Author's Notes:** Hello! I just realized that I didn't reply to any reviews last chapter, so I will proceed to go ahead and do that now...

Saucy Noodles: You know, I WAS thinking of putting Jet in somewhere... and I am, as of yet, undecided. Oh well. We'll find out eventually, I suppose.

katara water bender forever: What kind of Zuko&Katara fanfic would this be if Katara didn't get her necklace back!

Arwey: Ah, yes... plenty of Zuko in this chapter. I think you'll be satisfied... (muahahaha)

Zukos Girl: Yes, the organization-that-reminds-Katara-of-Jet; don't worry, I believe this chapter will answer why it reminds her of Jet. Well, more acurately, it reminds her of Jet's freedom fighters, but it seemed more climactic to just put "Jet".

jalapeno1011: Well... I updated... are you reading?

**Content:** One long flashback and Katara kissing Zuko. HA! BEAT THAT!

* * *

**Chapter Five**  
_Obvious_

_"He was a boy,  
And she was a girl.  
Can I make it any more obvious?"_

Katara gazed at the tea table, lost in thought.

She was the only one in the tea room since Carlaoh, Aang, and Sokka left. In fact, the four of them had only been talking for a minute or two (the span of time it took for Carlaoh to tell them that they didn't normally take prisoners) when Aang and Sokka started yawning. Katara soon learned that the two hadn't gotten any sleep whatsoever since the night before the storm, and so Carlaoh offered to give them some rooms. She explained that they always had spares in case they acquired new members, and then she asked the blond girl from before (Anthrype?) to take them there. The two of them were too sleepy to argue, and Katara figured that these people wouldn't do anything to hurt them. Carlaoh returned to Katara shortly, only to have a very interesting conversation...

_**-Flashback-**_

"Katara, why is it you don't like us?"

Katara was surprised by the forwardness of the question, but she answered quickly enough. "We met another group of kids led by someone called Jet... when we first met them, they seemed like a group of freedom fighters who were doing the best they could to stop the Fire Nation and liberate as many people as they could. We soon learned that they weren't all they seemed." She stared at the tea in her cup for a few moments. "They were willing to destroy an entire village just to kill off a few Fire Nation troops."

Carlaoh looked thoughtful. "That seems a very silly thing to do. They didn't succeed, I hope."

"No, but only thanks to my brother. He was able to warn the villagers just in time."

"And you think that we are like these 'freedom fighters', correct?"

Katara looked up defiantly. "I'm not taking any chances anymore. I won't be fooled by appearances."

Carlaoh nodded, looking strangely... satisfied. "That's a good philosophy, Katara. I hope you keep it in mind for all things you go through." She took a sip of her tea. "Listen, Katara. You may not believe this, but there are a lot of groups like Jet's and like ours. People who want to protect something because they couldn't protect their home. Some of these groups are big, like ours, and from the sound of it, like Jet's... but some are smaller. Most have no more than five people. Some try to do something to hurt the Fire Nation for what they took away, and some just try to live their lives, avoiding the Fire Nation as much as possible." She took another sip. "I'll tell you now, Katara, that our group is, for the most part, one of the latter. We isolate ourselves on this island, telling the people on the mainland this place is haunted so no one will come, yet sending some of our scouts over there every now and then to look for anyone who needs help and is willing to join us. We have made it our mission to protect and preserve this forest... if anyone, including the Fire Nation, wants to harm it, _then_ we get involved. Otherwise, we just want to be left alone."

Katara nodded. "I think I understand what you mean, and even though--"

"Carlaoh?" interrupted a voice from the doorway. Katara and Carlaoh looked at the intruder. It was a small, scrubby girl with messy brown hair. "The prisoner has been placed in the rec room."

"Right. Thank you, Geryl. I'll be over there shortly."

The girl nodded and disappeared into the corridor. Carlaoh turned back to Katara, examining her silently for a few seconds. Then she grinned, a glint of mischief in her eyes. "Katara, I have a proposition for you."

Katara narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "A proposition?"

Carlaoh. "Oh, nothing evil, I assure you... just listen. You're probably tired of hanging around boys so much, right? No chance to do anything like a girl."

Katara didnt' answer, although she silently agreed. She loved Sokka and Aang like family (especially since one _was_ family), but sometimes she just wished she could stop playing the big sister and just be a Katara without responsibilities. Not permanently, just for a little while.

"Anyway, the prisoner is Prince Zuko."

"Yes, Anthrype told us that."

"Did she? Good, then. Anyway, as I told you, we don't usually keep prisoners, so we don't have a proper cell. Frankly, I don't intend to keep him as a prisoner. I've always thought that was kind of stupid. So, if he agrees to play nice, I'm going to bring him up here so the three of us can have some tea and talk. What I wanted to ask is this: is that all right with you?"

"As long as he can act grown-up, so can I."

Carlaoh's grin widened. "In that case, I dare you to kiss him."

"WHAT!"

"Before you call me crazy, think about it. He's an exiled prince on a boat full of sailors. He's sixteen years old. The longest he's been around a girl is probably no more than a few minutes. So, he's probably not only a virgin, but has never gotten his first kiss. I, personally, would die to see the look on the Fire Prince's face after getting his surprise-first-kiss from a water bender. Don't tell me you don't think that'll be amusing."

"If you're so eager to see the look on his face, then you kiss him!"

"Ah, but there's a few things wrong with that: (1) I'm the hostess, (2) I'm an earth bender, not a water bender, (3) my heart belongs to another (sounds corny, I know, but it's true), and (4) you're prettier than I am. He'll be much more flustered if you do it."

Katara couldn't conceal a blush. She never really thought of herself as pretty. In fact, if she thought of her own looks at all, she thought she was downright homely.

"Come on, Katara, you _know_ you wanna see that as much as I do..." When she still hesitated, Carlaoh pulled two silver coins out of her pocket. "Okay, tell you what. Forget the dare. I'll bet you two silver pieces that you _won't_ kiss the prince."

"I don't _have_ two silver pieces."

"That's why you should win. Come on, Katara! You don't have to kiss him on the lips. I mean, I wouldn't ask _anyone_ to do that if they didn't want to. Just a peck on the cheek is good. Really, if he's as celibate as I think, even a little smoocher on the forehead by a pretty, young girl should turn him as red as his flames."

Katara considered this. The more Carlaoh talked about it, the more it made Katara want to do it. After all, who wouldn't want to see the proud Fire Nation prince blush? It would be priceless! Especially after all the things he did to Aang... and Sokka. And her, come to think of it.

Finally, she nodded. "All right, I'll do it."

Carlaoh cackled, rubbing her hands together. "Very good. I'm gonna love this." She cleared her throat and stood. "At any rate, I shouldn't dawdle. I'll be right back." And, with a parting wink, she left.

_**End Flashback**_

Truth be told, Katara was having second thoughts about her little bet with Carlaoh. Then again, she wasn't about to prove she was chicken and back out now. Besides, the three of them--Aang, Sokka and her--really needed the money, and two silver coins was quite a lot. And the image of a blushing Fire prince really _was_ too hard to resist.

---

"... And this is one of the four tea rooms," Carlaoh explained to Zuko as they entered the tea room.

Zuko looked about the room, unimpressed, until his eyes landed on Katara. "What is _she_ doing here?"

Carlaoh smiled and led him to the table. "She is a guest here, same as you."

"I thought you said I was a prisoner."

"You're _not_ a member, I don't _have_ any prisoners, and you're _in_ our hide-out. So, you must be a guest."

"That doesn't make any sense whatsoever!"

"Sure it does. Process of elimination, and all that. Now sit down." She pressed a hand firmly on his shoulder, and he sat on the cushion placed there, albeit reluctantly. Once Carlaoh walked around to the other side of the table, though, he sent a glare at Katara. "So, where's your precious Avatar?"

Katara returned his glare and crossed her arms. "I don't know. We were seperated in the storm." Naturally. She didn't know where the spare room was, and they _were_ seperated. Simple facts. He didn't need to know they were reunited, right?

Zuko snorted, as though he didn't believe her. Katara continued glaring at him, but he ignored her and turned back to Carlaoh. Of course, _she_ wasn't important. Oh no, only the _Avatar_ mattered. Jerk.

"Why is _she_ here?" Zuko demanded Carlaoh.

Carlaoh calmly went about pouring some tea into cups. "We found her washed up on shore, so we took her in. She woke up this evening, so I invited her to tea a little while before you got here." She passed the tea cup to Zuko. "Here you go. It's called Darjeeling."

Zuko didn't even glance at the tea. "I want to know what the point of all this is."

"We were wondering whether or not the proud Prince of the Fire Nation has had his first kiss or not."

Zuko blinked. "What?"

"Well, it's a very simple question, begging a very simple answer. A 'yes' or 'no' will suffice."

He sneered. "No, I have not, but what does that have to do--" He cut himself short, suddenly sensing something. He slowly turned his head to the right and found himself face-to-face with the water bending girl. She was glaring at him.

Had he not been a Prince of the Fire Nation, trained to be prepared for anything, he probably would have shrieked like a little girl and jump as far away from her as he possibly could. As it was, a surprised yelp escaped his voice (though it would later be called a girlish shriek, he would insist it was a man-yell) and he moved away slightly, his arms rising to an ineffectively defensive position.

The girl's face broke into a grin. "Surprised you, didn't I?"

Zuko did his best to regain his composure, lowering his arms and setting a scowl on his face. "What are you doing, anyway?"

"I was just wondering why a prince like yourself doesn't have a girlfriend," she said amiably.

He exhaled steam. These girls were _really_ testing his patience. "I am in _exile_. Exiled princes don't have _time_ for girlfriends."

Katara ignored the steam. "I see." Then, without warning, she leaned forward and pressed a kiss onto his unscarred cheek. Right afterwards, she calmly stood and walked back to her own place at the table and gave him a smile. "Well, now you can tell your crew that you _have_ been kissed by a girl before."

Zuko could feel the heat rising in his cheeks, despite the fact that he tried to conceal it from the girls by drinking some of his tea. He tried to refrain from placing his hand on the spot that she had kissed. That was certainly unexpected.

Once he caught Carlaoh attempting to hide a grin, however, he set his tea down and glared at her. She smiled at him innocently. "What? I just think it's... cute, is all."

His eyes narrowed. "This was a set-up, wasn't it?"

"Yes." Before he could make his reply, she continued: "But that was just to get you to introduced in a non-hostile manner. Really, I have something much more serious to discuss with you. Both of you."

Katara and Zuko both looked at her in surprise, the past few moments forgotten (for the time being).

Then Carlaoh turned to Zuko. "For you, Prince, I have a question: why do you fight?"

* * *

I told you there was a kiss. Of course, I didn't warn you of the cliff-hanger, but that's only because I'm evil. But don't worry, I assure you that next chapter won't be completely filled with boring discussion and an endless barage of questions. There will be some... entertaining... events as well. (insert maniacal laughter here) 

Please leave a review! I'm getting addicted to them!


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